The Chance
by Ribbond
Summary: Oneshot. It's been three years since the ashtriga incident and now twelve years old Dean promises himself he won't screw up again. Spoilers for Something Wicked, although this is somehow a AU


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything about Supernatural and/or the Winchesters (wished I did though:p), only the idea for the fic is mine.**

**A/N: This oneshot is obviously related to _Something's wicked_, although it's somehow a AU because it won't make sense with what Dean tells Sam on the episode otherwise. I just can help but trying to justify John's behavior, I have a soft spot for the man:p**

"_Look after Sammy. That's all I asked you to do. That's all you ever had to do and instead you run to have some fun, leaving your little brother on the motel room, unprotected. You nearly killed him." John's eyes were unforgiving as he said all those words to Dean. _

_Dean could fell his eyes filling with tears. "I'm sorry… I just thought… he was asleep and I…"_

"_And you damned left unprotected. I never thought I'd be so disappointed in you, Dean. I can't trust you anymore"_

"_What? No, dad, Sir.. I'm… It won't happen again, I swear…" the nine year-old kid try reasoning. He would never fail his brother or his dad again._

"_Yeah, I'll make sure it won't" John turn his back on his eldest son and walked away…_

Twelve year-old Dean woke up with a start, fists clenched on the sheet. He looked at his brother who seemed unperturbed in his sleep by the sudden movement on the bed. On the other bed of the motel room, John slept as well. Dean slowly unclenched his fists and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long time since he had last dreamt about what had happened that night three years ago. Well, that was not exactly true, his father had never actually told him any of the things he always dreamt, but the look he gave him while he cradled Sam that night was more than enough to know what he thought. Dean still remembered perfectly that night after his father arrived. The look of shock in Sammy's face at being awaken so abruptly, their dad getting them into the Impala and driving three hours straight to Pastor Jim's, all the while ignoring each attempt Dean did to engage a conversation or Sam's continuous questions about what was happening. Pastor Jim opening the door and letting them into his home and his daddy dropping Sam in one of the beds while Dean took the other and leaving them to talk to Pastor Jim alone. And then dad appearing once again at the doorframe and telling them they had to do everything – at that dad would give Dean a stern look – Pastor Jim told them. With that, it had started a period of time in which every time dad had to leave for a hunting for more than one day, Dean and Sammy would be left to the care of one of dad's friends, sometimes Pastor Jim, sometimes Caleb, sometimes Joshua… it wasn't until Dean had turned twelve with an unmarked record of total obedience, when their father had started leaving the boys alone once again on motel rooms for more than one night. Dean suspected that the fact that Sam was eight year-old and never run away on errands alone and seemed to be more interested in reading and homework than on going alone to play with friends, eased John's mind. Nonetheless, Dean took pride on his re-earned responsibility of looking over Sammy.

Dean got up slowly both to not wake up either Sam or his father and because he had to wait for the room to stop spinning around. Once the floor decided to lay still, he went to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water. Looking at the cabinet small mirror, he saw his cheeks were flushed. Maybe that was why he wasn't feeling so good. He knew some of his classmates missed some lessons because of a flu, but he hardly had any contact with anyone, he couldn't have gotten sick, right? Sighing, he opened the cabinet and took the thermometer out, sticking it into his mouth. 102'5ºF. Once Sam had a fever of 103,5ºF and their dad said it was pretty high. Dean's fever was not high then. And he wouldn't ruin his chance to show his dad he was more than able to look after Sammy. He returned the thermometer to the cabinet and closed it. He hoped with a couple more of sleep hours he'd feel better…

"Dean… come on kiddo, I gotta go and you gotta go to school"

Dean mumbled something and tried to continue sleeping but a hand gently shook him more alert. He cracked one eye open and looked at the clock. 7:30 am. John, apparently satisfied that Dean had opened his eyes, went back to the room kitchenette and continued preparing breakfast. Dean sat up on the bed and willed himself to breath slowly to try and erase the nausea he felt at the smell of food that inundated the room. Finally the nausea seemed to recess and slowly Dean got up. Obviously his plan to sleep and get up better had gone wrong, but he wouldn't let neither his father nor his brother know he felt like crap. When Sam exited the bathroom, he quickly got inside and shut the door. A quick glance in the mirror told him he looked exactly how he felt. And he felt like crap. He took again the thermometer from the cabinet and stack it again into his mouth. His cheeks looked more flushed than before and his eyes were watery. When he looked at the digital screen of the thermometer he sighed. 103'5ºF. That was the temperature his dad had got so afraid when Sammy got it. But Sammy was still small. May be it didn't matter so much when you were twelve years old. Yes, surely it wasn't so bad. He splashed his face again with cold water and got goosebumps for the effort, and combed his hair. When he exited the bathroom he saw his dad and Sammy already having breakfast.

"Dean, come get your cup of milk before it gets cold" his father summoned him. Dean sighed and approached the table. He was sure if he drank the milk he'd have to run to the bathroom again. He started stirring the contents with the spoon.

"Dean, drink it up already, we don't have all day"

Dean sighed and lifted the cup and frowned a little. Were his hands trembling? Why? Unfortunately, he was not the only one to notice.

"Why are your hands trembling, Dean?" Sammy's voice broke the silence. And if that wasn't bad enough… "And your cheeks are red!" That got John's attention. He really looked at his eldest son and frowned.

"Dean, are you alright?"

"Yes, Sir"

John sighed and gently placed a hand on Dean's forehead before Dean could avoid it.

"Dean, you're burning"

"Don't worry, I feel fine. I can't look after Sammy. You don't need to worry, dad" How he was gonna do it, when his vision seemed to blur sometimes and he was feeling more and more dizzy, he had no idea, but he would somehow. He would show his dad he could trust him.

John watched as his son swayed a little on the chair and turned to his younger "Sammy, get the thermometer from the bathroom" Sammy nodded and John slowly guided Dean back to the bed. With all pretense of being fine gone, Dean let his father guide him and lied down. Yes, lying felt much better than being upright….

Sammy came with the thermometer and John placed it in Dean's mouth. When he looked at the display he frowned. "Sammy, go get your coat"

"We're going to school dad?"

John shook his head. "Not today Sammy, not today"

He grabbed Dean's coat and gently slipped his son's arms into it, before taking him in his arms and moving to the door. "Let's go, Sammy"

The ride to the hospital took them more than half and hour, and when John finally parked the car, he saw Dean had fallen asleep. He carried him to the emergency unit, and didn't let go until one doctor from the pediatric ward took Dean and John to a private cabinet. Before entering, John turned to Sam

"Sammy, I need you to stay put, okay?" Sammy nodded.

"Will Dean be ok?"

John smiled "Of course he will" ruffling his hair before entering the room where the doctor was already examining Dean. After what seemed like an eternity, the Doctor looked at John.

"Well, here Dean seems to have a bad case of flu. Nothing that shouldn't be cured with some antibiotics and rest. I'll give you the prescription, but before you leave I'll give Dean a shot to stop the fever from spiking higher. Dean will probably sleep for the most part of these next two days, but whenever he's awake, you should coax him into drinking as much water and juices as possible. It will keep him from getting dehydrated. And he'll need bland food." John nodded with all the doctor's order and waited until the antibiotic shot had been given and he had the prescription in his hands.

"Oh, my younger son… won't he get it too?"

"Well, if he's been in contact with Dean, he could already be developing the symptoms, but we can always give him a preventive shot"

John nodded and went to get Sammy. Fifteen minutes later, he had the Impala again loaded with a still sleeping Dean and with Sam who was still rubbing his arm, where the shot had been delivered.

"Daddy, didn't you had to go on a hunt?"

John looked at Sammy's reflection on the rearview mirror. "I'll call Caleb and he'll take care of it" Sammy nodded and looked at Dean.

"Dean's sleeping a lot today"

John smiled "Yes he is. He needs all the rest he can get, okay?"

"Yes, Sir"

John was mildly surprised. He was used to Dean answering him with 'Yes, Sir', or 'No, Sir', but hearing those words coming from Sam was another story altogether. "Sammy, I'll need you to help me look after him, ok?"

"Yes, Sir"

John smiled. And truth to his word, Sammy did really helped him throughout the next couple of days, when Dean's fever wouldn't go down, Sammy was constantly watching his brother, and after seeing how John changed the wet towel from his son's forehead, Sammy would do the same.

On the third day, Dean became more alert for longer periods of times. He would still sleep a lot, and get tired pretty quick, but he could hold longer conversations and even a game or two of the UNO with Sammy.

On the night of the fifth day, John finished washing up the dished used for dinner, and when he went to lie in the bed, with Sam's next to him, since he had moved him when Dean had got ill, he saw his eldest awake, watching over Sam.

"Hey Dean, watcha doing? You should be sleeping"

"I… I feel much better. You can leave now, I can watch over Sammy"

John frowned and sat down on Dean's bed. "Okay, where did that come from?"

Dean looked at his hands "It's only… it's been three years since you last let me watch over Sammy, and now I go and screw up the first chance I have to.."

John placed a hand upon Dean's and sighed. He should have given his son an explanation before. "Dean, it wasn't that I didn't want you to watch over Sammy. When that ashtriga attacked him, yes, I was angry at you. Angry and hurt you had disobeyed a direct order, but then, then I realized you were just a kid. The responsibility of looking after Sammy, of looking after the two of you was mine, I couldn't let you burden with your little brother, and not because I didn't trust you, but because you shouldn't have to. You were a kid yourself Dean. Heck, you're a kid now."

"But I wanna do it! I wanna prove to you I can do it"

"I know you can do it, Ace, but that's the thing. You should be able to raise as a kid yourself, go play, have fun…"

"I have fun playing with Sammy. And I have fun helping you searching things for your hunts. That's what I want to do, Dad"

John smiled again and kissed his son's forehead.

"When you get better, we'll see, okay? Now I want you to go back to sleep"

Dean nodded and finally was able to drift back to sleep. John smothered his hair and smiled. He couldn't feel more proud of his sons than he was now. And having finally told Dean about the incident with the ashtriga lift a heavy weight of his heart too. Things were back on track finally.

FIN


End file.
